Pelvic device



y 1962 M. JUNGMANN 3,082,034

' PELVIC DEVICE Filed May 7, 1959 F I 2 INVENTOR.

MARTIN JUNGMANN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,032,034 PELVIC DEVICE Martin Jungmann, New York, N.Y., assignor to Institute for Gravitational Strain Pathology, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 7, 1959, Ser. No. 811,713 8 Claims. (Cl. 128-104) This invention relates to a pelvic device; and more particularly, concerns a device for exerting resilient pressure which is restricted to the pubic bone and lower sacrum without effecting the soft body tissues.

In applicants Patent 2,320,183, there is disclosed a device including opposed pads applicable to the pubic bone and lower sacrum, to redress their relative positions and thereby overcome the adverse effects of gravitational forces on the body frame in its normal upright position. Such device is useful in treating conditions such as fatigue, backache, lumbago, sacroiliac disturbances and the like, caused by gravitational strain.

It has been found that, for biological and physiological reasons, the therapeutic advantages of the aforesaid patented device may be substantially enhanced upon the improvement thereof in accordance with the instant invention.

Thus, the improved device of the instant invention in use correlates an elastic, free-floating, two-point suspen sion system thereof with the pertinent portions of the pelvic system to achieve improved correctional effects.

With a more precise control of the pressures applied to the pubic bone and lower sacrum, through improved resilient means which forms a portion of the device of the instant invention, the spread of said bone structures due to body weight, is prevented, and further, are actually brought closer together to effect a redressment thereof.

Whereas the aforesaid patent discloses opposed pad structures within a closed system of alternating nonresilient and resilient elements; it has been found that the utility of the device for therapeutic and structural usage is vastly improved when the pads are a part of a body encircling system which is altogether of a resilient nature.

Thus, with the instant device in use, any movement of the body including bending, lifting of objects, twisting and even breathing, is translated to the resilient elements of the device which fiex in a manner to impart mechanical oscillating movements to the pads thereof, thereby providing a substantially constant therapeutic treatment for the body of the wearer by way of said oscillated pads.

Furthermore, as the pelvic device must be carefully fitted to each patient and thereafter progressively refitted during the course of treatment, the improved device of the instant invention incorporates elements which lend themselves to the fitting and refitting operations readily and with minimum effort.

'The pelvic devices encircle the body of the wearer and necessarily must be subject to extensive manipulation as an incident to the application and removal of the device with respect to the body of the wearer. Since such devices are made essentially of metal, the incident repeated stresses and strains introduce fatigue which may result in premature failure of the metal parts.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved pelvic device including metal elements for supporting pressure applying pads, wherein the metal elements are of a character which is highly resistant to bending strains and fatigue.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, curved metal spring members for encircling the body of the wearer and mounting pad members which apply adjusted pressure to the pubic bone and lower sacrum; the spring members being ICC adapted to be mechanically manipulated to adjust the locus of the pressure and to retain their resiliency after such manipulation.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a pelvic device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of an element thereof;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1; and I FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the latch portion of the device.

The pelvic device of the instant invention comprises a pair of opposed pads which form elements of a closed system of resilient spring members adapted to encircle the pelvic region of the wearer and to present said pads in pressure applying relation to the pubic bone and lower sacrum.

As shown in FIG. 1, the device embodying the invention, generally indicated at 10, comprises a rear pad member 11 resiliently mounted on the inner surface of a substantially flat spring member 12; a front pad member 13 resiliently and adjustably mounted on a substantially flat spring member 14. The spring members 12, 14 are interconnected in a closed resilient system by curved, resilient spring members 15, 16. Latch means generally indicated at 17, allows the system to be opened and closed for applying and removing the device 10 from the body of the wearer.

The rear spring member 12 is connected at the opposite ends thereof to the later-ally opposed rear ends 18, 19 of curved spring members 15, 16 by hinge connectors indicated at 20, 21. The similar pad members 11, 13 each comprise a soft pad 22 of rubber sponge or other suitable material, which is fixed in a metal shell 23 by means of a base plate 24 and snap rings 25.

A helical spring 26 has one end thereof secured to base plate 24 by a struckout portion 27 thereof; the other end of spring 26 being secured to a flanged circular plate 28 which is rotatably seated in a cupped member 29. The cupped member 29 associated with pad member 11 is fixed to spring member 12 by a clip 30.

The front pad member 13 is mounted on spring member 14 for adjusted movement towards and away from member 14 while still maintaining a resilient connection to member 14. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of outwardly bowed springs 31, 32 have their outer ends received in grooved abutment members 33, 34. The spacing between springs 31, 32 is regulated by a screw 35 which interconnects abutment members 33, 34; member 33 being threaded to receive said screw.

A clip 36 connects the midportion of spring 32 with a midportion of fiat spring member 14 while a combination clip and rivet 37 connects the midportion of spring 31 with cupped member 29; the rivet portion thereof allowing for rotation of pad member 13 relative to said cupped member 29.

The flat spring member 14 is riveted at one end thereof to front end portion 38 of curved spring member 15 while the other end of member 14 is fixed to a latch element 39 of latch means 17. Latch element 39 is offset at its outer end and formed with a rectangular opening 40. A coacting latch element 41 is fixed at its inner end to front end portion 42 of curved spring member 16. The outer end of latch element 41 is also offset and formed with a tongue 43 which is insertable into opening 40 of latch element 39.

The substantially flat spring members 12, 14 may be formed of tempered steel. However, the curved spring members .15, 16, which may have an elliptical cross section, as shown in FIG. 3, are formed of an aluminum alloy capable of being heat treated to bring it to proper temper. Such alloy displays excellent resiliency and maintains such resiliency despite repeated bending and torsional strains incident to the manipulation thereof in use of device 10, as further described. A suitable alloy includes about 5.6% zinc, about 2.5% magnesium, about 1.3% copper and about 0.3% chromium.

The hinge members 20, 21 facilitate the application and removal of pelvic device with respect to the body of the wearer, thus avoiding undue stresses on the flat spring members 12, 14 and substantially extending the life thereof. It will be apparent from a consideration of FIG. 1, that the arrangement of latch members 39, 41 in interengaged relation is retained in such relation by the outward bias of curved spring members 15, 16. However, the lach members are readily disengaged by pressing the members inwardly to allow the tongue 43 to be slipped out of opening 40.

Device in use provides means for progressively correcting and redressing the relative position of the pubic bone and lower sacrum of the wearer, to overcome the adverse effects of gravitational strain on the body. Necessarily, during the usage of the device, changes take place in the shape, size and location of the pelvic region in respect to the body generally. Furthermore, a progressive redressment of the pubic bone and lower sacrum accrues from the use of the device.

Accordingly, it is necessary to adjust the relative positions of pad members 11, 13 in respect to each other and in respect to the body of the wearer, in order to insure proper pressure on the body portions contacted by said pad members. This, is readily accomplished by periodic manipulation of the curved spring members 15, 16 by suitable tools which reset the curvature thereof or vary the inclination of the cross sectional portions thereof with respect to the vertical. Thus, the pressure applied through pad members 11, 13 may be adjusted from time to time, and if necessary, the inclination of said pad members may also be modified to change the direction of the pressure applied to the pubic bone and sacrum.

In this manner, the device 10 may be progressively accommodated to the actual body contours of the wearer, particularly at the buttocks, hips and groin, throughout the course of treatment, and at the same time, making proper adjustment of the pressures required for proper redressment. Despite the repeated bending and torsional strains applied to the curved spring members 15, 16 as an incident to such adjustments in device 10, the resiliency of the members is retained and required pressures transmitted by pad members 11, 13 are provided throughout the treatment period.

It will be apparent that by turning screw 35 in one direction, pad member 13 may be brought closer to its supporting spring 14, while turning the screw in the opposite direction will cause member 13 to move away from spring 14; thus facilitating fitting and adjusting device 10 to a particular wearer. The bending tools are readily applied along the curvilinear extent of spring members 15, 16 to change the curvature thereof and may be applied to end portions 18, 19, 38, 39 for torsional elfects to change the inclination of pad members 11, 13.

As changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein shown without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. A pelvic device comprising first and second pad members disposed in opposed relation and respectively adapted to be located in opposed relation to the pubic bone and the lower sacrum of the wearer of said device, means interconnecting said pad members comprising a pair of curved metal spring members for encircling the body of the wearer and presenting a pair of laterally adjacent front ends and a pair of laterally adjacent rear ends, a mounting member for said second pad member,"v resilient means connecting said second pad member to said mounting members, heinged means connecting said mounting member to the rear ends of said spring members, a second mounting member for said first pad member, means rigidly connecting said second mounting member to the front end of one of said spring members, means detachably connecting said second mounting member to the front end of the other of said spring members, and adjustable resilient means connecting said first pad member to said second mounting member to vary the pressure of said pad members on the pubic bone and lower sacrum.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein said spring members are formed of an aluminum alloy, said spring members being mechanically bendable to vary the curvature thereof while retaining the resilience thereof, whereby to adjust the pressure of said pad members transmitted to said pubic bone and lower sacrum.

3. A device as in claim 1 and further including means for mounting said pad members for rotation relative to their respective mounting members.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein said adjustable resilient means comp-rises a pair of opposed, outwardly bowed spring members, abutment members ,engageable with the opposite ends ofsaid bowedspring members, and means for connecting and adjusting the relative position of said bowed spring members to vary the spacing between said bowed spring members, means connecting said firstpad member to one bowedspring member and means connecting said second mounting means to the other bowed spring member.

5. A pelvic device for redressing the relative positions of the pubic bone and the lower sacrum comprising a first pad member adapted to bear on the pubic bone and a second pad member in opposed relation to said first pad member and adapted to bear against the lower sacrum, said pad members being interconnected by a pair of convexly curved body encircling members, each of said curved members comprising a heat treated aluminum alloy, said curved members being resilient and adapted to retain such resiliency when said curved members are deformed to vary the curvature thereof, a metal spring member for mounting each of said pad members, means for hingedly connecting the side edges of the spring member mounting the second pad member to the laterally adjacent rear ends of said curved members, means connecting the spring member mounting the first pad member to the laterally adjacent front ends of said curved members, and adjustable spring means connecting said first pad member to said second mentioned spring member for varying the spacing therebetween.

6. A pelvic device for redressing the relative positions of the pubic bone and lower sacrum, comprising a pair of opposed pad members, and a closed system of resilient metal members adapted to encircle the body of the wearer for mounting said pad members, said system of metal members including a pair of oppositely disposed curved metal spring members and a pair of oppositely disposed substantially flat metal spring members interconnecting said curved metal spring members, means for mounting said pad members on the respective flat metal spring members, and means for hingedly connecting the opposite ends of one of said fiat spring members to the adjacent end portions of said curved spring members, said curved spring members being formed of a metal alloy adapted to be repeatedly mechanically deformed to vary the relative spacing and disposition of said flat metal spring members and thereby adjust the pressure transmitted to the pubic bone and lower sacrum while retaining the resiliency of said curved metal spring members despite the repeated mechanical deformation thereof.

7. A device as in claim 6 and including latch means connecting one end of the other of said flat spring members to the adjacent end of one of said curved spring members, said latch means including a pair of elements having inwardly offset end portions, one of said end portions being formed with a slot and the other end portion being formed with a tongue removably receivable in the slot of said one end portion.

8. A pelvic device comprising a pair of opposed pad members, means for retaining said pad members in adjusted relation to each other, said means comprising a pair of opposed, substantially flat spring members for respectively mounting said pad members, and a pair of oppositely disposed, convexly curved spring members interconnecting said flat spring members, and means for mounting said pad members on the respective fiat spring members, said curved spring members being formed of a heat treated aluminum alloy adapted to retain its resiliency despite repeated deformation of said curved spring members to vary the curvature thereof, one of said flat spring members being rigidly connected at one end thereof with the adjacent end of one of said curved other fiat spring member with the remaining adjacent ends of said curved spring members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 44,914 Banning Nov. 1, 1864 49,406 Hockert Aug. 15, 1865 124,475 Banning Mar. 12, 1872 396,962 St. John Jan. 29, 1889 742,608 Doane Oct. 27, 1903 759,507 Ericson et a1. May 10, 1904 968,728 Ballou Aug. 30, 1910 1,613,712 Manix Ian. 11, 1927 2,080,412 Engberg May 18, 1937 2,613,668 Mandell Oct. 14, 1952 2,669,447 OConnor Feb. 16, 1954 2,756,745 Barch July 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,702 Great Britain Apr. 28, 1900 

